SJ’s Candidates of Color Fare Well in November Elections
Mayor Marty Small. Photo courtesy of Marty Small campaign.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – Black mayors in South Jersey’s two largest cities, Atlantic City and Camden, retained their seats in general elections in November.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., who still face a trial related to discipling his teenage daughter this month, handily beat Republican challenger Naeem Khan. Camden’s Victor Carstarphen did not face a challenger along with his at-large council team of Angel Fuentes, Nohemi Soria-Perez and Sheila Davis.
Small led Khan by more than 2,200 votes by Wednesday morning, according to NJ.com. In the Atlantic City, at-large council race, Black incumbent Stephanie Marshall, and Patricia Bailey, who replaced Bruce Weekes on council earlier this year, both won with newcomer Mohammed Suhel Ahmed.
In a closely watched Atlantic County Commissioner District 1 race, Rev. Collins Days led Atlantic City at-large councilman George Tibbitt by more than 2,000, per NJ.com. Days took the post in September, replacing late Ernest Coursey, who died of cancer.
The race was the first under new maps drawn designed to give Blacks more of a chance to win two seats on the commissioner’s board.
Votes are still being counted in the tight race in Hamilton Township in Atlantic County, Dr. Thelma Witherspoon retained her committee seat while Tracy Thompson, a member of Witherspoon’s team, won a seat on committee to replace Robert Law, by edging the Republican candidate. Yvette Soto appears to have missed out claiming one of the full-term slots.
James Barclay and Victor Carmona secured their seats on the Pleasantville Council in Wards 1 and 2, respectively. Tanner Ortiz won one of three spots open on the Egg Harbor City Common Council.
In Burlington County, NaTashia Latimore retained her spot on the Palmyra Borough Council while Nathaniel Anderson and Rebecca Perrone kept their seats on the Willingboro Township Council.
In Salem County, the Democratic husband-wife team of Gregory and Charlyn Martin both won seats on the Carneys Point Township Committee. Charlyn Martin is a former Penns Grove council member who recently ran for Salem County clerk.
In Gloucester County, Wayne Love was one of four who won seats on the Deptford Township Council. Love, the only Black on the council, was an incumbent running to keep his seat. Shleema Lawry retained her seat on the Logan Township Council and Kyana Evans, on Paulsboro Borough Council.
In the State Assembly race, Cape May County’s Antwan McClellan and his running mate Erik Simonsen retained their District 1 seats, beating Democrats Carolyn Rush and Carol Sabo. McClellan, the former Ocean City councilman, remains the only Black Republican in the NJ Legislature.
Harrison Township Deputy Mayor Lawrence Moore, appeared to have just missed joining McClellan as the Republican missed by a little more than one percentage point in winning a seat in District 3 against Democratic incumbents Heather Simmons and Dave Bailey.
That race, however, had not been called Wednesday morning with 95% of the vote counted. Moore was named Front Runner New Jersey’s 30 Under 40 Top Black Leaders of SJ earlier this year.
In District 5, Camden’s William Spearman and his running mate William Moen handily held on to their Assembly seats in their race by more than 20 percentage points.
In District 7, Balvir Singh, who replaced Dr. Herb Conaway after winning a seat in Congress, won a post outright in incumbent running mate Carol Murphy by double-digits.
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